SCELG researcher Dr Diz invited to first international meeting of regional seas and fisheries organizations
Thursday 27 November 2016
Dr. Daniela Diz was invited to attend the first international meeting of regional seas organizations and regional fisheries management organizations convened by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Seul, Republic of Korea on 24-29 September 2016. The meeting explored how possible cooperation and collaboration among regional bodies can contribute to accelerating progress towards the achievement of relevant global goals such as the CBD Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With the increasing rate of marine biodiversity loss, which has been the object of increasing scientific studies and media attention lately, the importance of the Aichi targets, which aim to tackle the underlying causes of such declining trend, becomes even more prevalent.
The Aichi Targets
Among others, the Aichi Targets address sustainable fisheries, increasing the resilience of habitats vulnerable to climate change effects and ocean acidification, and the establishment of networks of marine protected areas. SDG 14 on oceans and seas also aim to address these issues in a complementary manner, through the lens of sustainable development, while integrating social components including reduction of poverty, better nutrition, improving global health and promoting more sustainable means of production and consumption. Integrated policies based on an ecosystem approach can enhance and expedite the rate of achievement of these targets and goals contributing to increased food security and ecosystem services. With less than four years remaining before the deadline that the international community set in 2020 to achieve the Aichi Targets, this meeting constitutes a unique opportunity for regional seas organizations and regional fisheries bodies to establish a platform of cooperation towards maintaining or restoring to healthy levels the planet’s variety of life, while safeguarding human wellbeing and eradicating poverty.
MARINE BENEFITS Project
Dr Daniela Diz is a member of the Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance. The interplay between the SDGs and Aichi Targets in relation to sustainable fisheries is the object of the MARINE BENEFITS project, that Dr Diz and Prof Elisa Morgera are implementing with funding from the Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) Programme. Among other activities, Dr Diz and Prof Morgera are coordinating a multi-disciplinary special issue of the international journal Marine Policy on the SDGs and sustainable fisheries.
